1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for processing potato chips from raw potatoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various devices have been developed for processing potato chips and the like. See, for example, Peck, U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,937; MacKendrick, U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,248; Lecrone, U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,861; Bolton et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,311; Campbell et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,285; and Baird, U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,805. None of the above patents disclose or suggest the present invention.
The usual method of processing potato chips involves the manual slicing of raw potatoes, the insertion of these slices into a reservoir of hot cooking oil for a predetermined period so that the slices are fried to a crisp state, and then the removal of the fried chips from the reservoir of cooking oil. MacKendrick, Campbell et al, and Baird disclose machines for continuously cutting sections of a predetermined shape from a dough sheet and frying those sections to provide a crisp, chip type product. The MacKendrick, Campbell et al, and Baird machines are not entirely satisfactory for use by an average individual housewife in a noncommercial operation since the machines' construction is relatively complicated and expensive and since they require critical additional steps such as making dough sheets and the like.